


as the world whizzes by

by crescendohowell



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Coming Out, Homophobia, M/M, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 15:29:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11854461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescendohowell/pseuds/crescendohowell
Summary: They were sitting next to each other on the school bus, legs pressed together. The air blowing in from the windows was cool.  It ruffled Dan’s curls and messed up Phil’s fringe so much that he had long given up on trying to keep it decent while he was on the bus.in which dan and phil fall in love as they take the bus home from school together everyday





	as the world whizzes by

“Have you ever heard of that stat that one in ten people are gay?”

They were sitting next to each other on the school bus, legs pressed together. Their jeans were black and matching; it was just hot enough that they could feel the sweat gathering and beginning to stick a bit to the seat. But the air blowing in from the windows was cool. It ruffled Dan’s curls and messed up Phil’s fringe so much that he had long given up on trying to keep it decent while he was on the bus.

They were 16, made of too long limbs, and full of school related dread.

Dan blinked at Phil, his brown eyes wide and freckles sprinkling his cheeks, as he processed the question that Phil had asked. “I reckon I’ve heard that at some point.” He said after a moment. It did sound vaguely familiar. But then again, sometimes his brain was so full of song lyrics and piano notes that Dan wondered how there was room for anything else.

“I feel like it ought to be more,” Phil fidgeted with a bit of thread on his muted green t-shirt. “Or maybe that’s true for, like, people who are a hundred percent gay, but where do bi people fit in this one in ten scenario?”

Dan smiled. “Yeah, I definitely haven’t put _that_ much thought into it mate.” He watched the endless stream of familiar sights as they flew past into the window behind Phil.

Phil didn’t pay attention to any of the sights around them though. His forehead crinkled a little as he thought. 

Dan wanted to run his finger over the line and smooth it out.

“That means that there’s probably one person in our friend group who’s gay then.” Phil knew that there were only six of them but he figured rounding up was okay in this situation. Six was greater than five after all.

“Yeah, we all already knew that,” Dan laughed, his dimples deep in his cheeks and his eyes crinkling around the edges as he looked fondly at Phil. “I was never the best at keeping secrets.”

“Right,” Phil’s cheeks coloured a little. 

Dan had told him when they were on the bus actually. It was the middle of winter and bitter cold and Phil had his arm wrapped around Dan, pulling him close so that they could both be a little less cold. Dan said the words so quietly at first Phil didn’t know if he had heard right. _I’m gay_. But indeed Phil had heard correctly and he just held Dan closer, trying to press all his warmth into Dan so that maybe the reason that his voice shook when he said the words would hurt a little less.

“See you tomorrow?” Dan interrupted Phil’s thoughts. It was his stop and he was already halfway down the aisle, backpack halfway slung onto his shoulder and his hand holding onto the back of the seat a couple rows down.

“Yeah,” Phil confirmed. He hadn’t gotten off the bus at Dan’s stop in months. His mum was expecting him home and in words that Phil would never repeat, he was not allowed to hang out with that _Dan_ boy.

They would have the bus ride though. They would have that and school and it would have to be enough. Even though Phil didn’t fall asleep at night for hours and as soon as he got home he felt like he was suffocating, that was enough.

It took another three months, until it was getting close to actually feeling like spring and the air smelled a bit sweet, hinting at the flowers soon to come. It was then that Phil finally got up the courage to say his own quiet words.

“I think-I think I’m bisexual,” He tried to ignore the tightening of his chest and the drop in his stomach because now that those words had been uttered, they couldn’t be taken back. 

They were sitting in the same school bus seat as always and Dan instantly pulled Phil into as much of a hug as he could manage given that they were sitting down. “Thank you for telling me. I love you. You’re so brave.” His voice was honey coloured and full of warmth.

But really Phil didn’t feel brave at all. He was still so unsure about everything and all he really knew was that he had had a crush on Dan for the longest time. He had fallen in love with long legs, crooked smiles and casual touches that always made his heart skip a beat. Saying that he was bisexual was the closest that he was able to get to telling Dan. He knew that he would never have enough guts for that.

Two weeks later the seat in front of them got a tear in the back of it. When Phil slid into the seat next to Dan he looked at the tear and avoided Dan’s eyes. Last night his Dad had confronted him about never having a girlfriend. Phil hadn’t been able to come up with a good enough response. The tear in the seat seemed fitting. 

Dan didn’t say anything out of the ordinary on that bus ride. He didn’t notice. Phil knew that he was hiding it well but it still hurt when Dan smiled and didn’t realise anything was wrong. But to Phil this was his own family, it was his own problem, and he wouldn’t make Dan deal with any of that if he didn’t have to. Hopefully Dan would never know why Phil always hesitated a moment when they said goodbye at the end of the day. He would never know all the invitations to hang out that died on the tip of Phil’s tongue.

“There’s a boy in my maths class that I think is flirting with me.”

It was a week after the tear had appeared. It had already been covered up with a piece of black tape. Only Phil wasn’t so sure if anything would ever be enough to fix this open and aching fear that had rooted itself inside of him.

Dan continued. “And I’m not really sure how I feel about it. I reckon that I should be excited a boy’s interested in me but it’s just that I like someone else. I’m much more interesting in _them_ than him”

Phil decided quickly that he didn’t like talking about this maths boy very much. “Don’t lead him on,” was all that he offered in advice.

“True,” Dan pursed his lips a little as he thought. “I just don’t really think anything will ever happen with the guy I like though. Maybe I should try and move on?”

“Well I’m shit at moving on,” Phil couldn’t stop from smiling as he thought about how he had been trying to repress his crush on Dan for about three years now and look where that had gotten him - still hopelessly staring and looking forward to loud school bus rides because of the impossibility of two six foot tall people sitting next to each other without constant touching. “So don’t ask my advice.”

“Oh really?” Dan raised an eyebrow, amused by Phil’s response. 

“Mm hm.” And maybe it was Phil’s imagination but he could have sworn that they held eye contact a moment longer than normal and that when Dan finally looked away he was blushing. 

Phil thought that Dan’s blush was as pretty as all the wildflowers just beginning to bloom in the fields rushing by the window.

They ended up having to take the late bus home one day. They had both had to stay after for working on a english project with their respective partners and by the time they sat down on the familiar seat the outside was starting to turn to dusk. It was just enough of a deviation from normal to make them breathless and slightly giggly. 

“You’re so cute when you laugh,” Dan said without thinking. Both of their cheeks hurt from grinning.

“So are you,” Phil’s smile didn’t falter for a second. Instead he just reached to take Dan’s hand in his, threading their fingers together and squeezing like this was something they did every day.

“God,” Dan breathed. 

The last rays of sunlight of the day slanted through the windows. Phil wanted this image of Dan, slightly shocked but so blissfully happy, surrounded by golden light to be imprinted on his mind forever.

“It’s so much more complicated than this,” Phil couldn’t stop himself from worrying aloud. He was nothing if not good at ruining things and there was no way he could be deserving of such a moment as this. “There’s so much-”

“To worry about later,” Dan cut him off, finishing the sentence with words so soft they were made of clouds. His eyes were kind. “I just want this. Right now.” The world whizzed by outside and the noise of everyone else seemed far away.

“Okay,” Phil let out a breathe. 

“Okay,” Dan repeated. He leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to Phil’s. “We’re going to be okay.”

And for the first time in months, as Phil felt Dan’s chapped lips and his calloused hand and his ever present legs all pressed against him, Phil finally felt like that was going to be true.

**Author's Note:**

> ah i'm actually kinda happy with this one? let me know what you think!!


End file.
